Former President Bill Clinton arrived to take Obama’s place at rallies in Commerce City and Denver, delivering an encore version of the speech that highlighted the Democratic National Convention.

Clinton defended Obama’s record and launched into an attack on Republican Mitt Romney.

Because of Obama’s moves to allow the government to bypass banks and make student loans directly from the government to students, loans will be cheaper, and the government will save money, Clinton said.

“I’m amazed people don’t know this. It’s the most important, unknown change the president has made,” Clinton said.

Romney would repeal the idea, leading to more college dropouts, Clinton said.

The former president took aim at policies that Romney has put at the center of his campaign – the repeal of Obama’s health-care law, debt reduction and job creation – and said Obama has the better plan in every instance.

“If you want to do something about the debt, instead of smoke and mirrors, and if you favor arithmetic over illusion, you better re-elect President Barack Obama,” Clinton said.

A Republican spokeswoman said Coloradans know “they can’t afford four more years like the last four years.”

“With one week to go until Election Day, Bill Clinton’s visit to the Denver area is illustrative of a very worried Obama campaign,” said Ellie Wallace, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. Clinton also took issue with Romney’s pledge to create 12 million jobs, saying that’s exactly what economists predict under Obama’s current policies.

“We want him to be at the helm when those 12 million jobs arrive,” he said.